1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a 2-step guide hood latch apparatus for a vehicle, by which a user may be provided with convenience in opening a hood merely with a simple manipulation inside a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
While vehicles have been recognized and developed as a simple transportation means or carrying equipment, technological competition to meet various demands by the customers become more fierce with the diversification in consumers' tastes.
Recently, vehicles have been evolved to shift their main focus from providing better exterior shapes and designs into provision of more advanced conveniences and control-related facilities.
In order to secure product competitiveness over rival car manufacturers in the global market as well as in the domestic market, a 2-step open hood system has been developed by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation.
A hood is generally locked in two steps by using a safety lever so that when a release lever is manipulated inside a vehicle to release the locked hood, one step binding release is conducted by a cable operation, and in front of the vehicle, a driver puts the hand into an engine room to release the safety lever, whereby the hood is opened. In this way, a two-step safety device is provided for hood operations.
This structure is intended to meet vehicle safety standards regulations, and a firm hood latch should be installed in the vehicle's hood. For a vehicle in which a hood is opened or closed forward and the hood, if opened during driving, may obstruct a driver's field of vision, the vehicle is regulated by law to have 2-step lock or 2-spot lock.
FIG. 1 is an operating state diagram of a general hood latch apparatus for describing a method for releasing the hood latch apparatus. As shown in the first cut, an initial state, a hood striker 5 is locked in 2 steps by a claw 1 and a hook 2.
As shown in the second cut, once a driver manipulates a release lever disposed in an indoor driver's seat side, a pawl 4 is pulled in a direction indicated by an arrow and is rotated, thus releasing a binding force applied to the claw 1.
Next, as shown in the third cut, as the claw 1 is rotated, the striker 5 leaves an insertion groove 1a of the claw 1, such that the hood is slightly lifted from a primary lock state into a primary open state.
As shown in the fourth cut, the driver goes out of the vehicle and puts the hand into the primarily-opened hood to push a safety lever 3 in a direction indicated by an arrow, such that the hook 2 connected with the safety level 3 is rotated and thus the binding force which holds the hood striker 5 is released. Thus, the hood changes from the secondary locked state into the secondary open state.
However, to open the hood, the driver inevitably experiences the cumbersome process of manipulating the release lever indoors for primary lock release and putting the hand into the hood outdoors to manipulate the safety level 3.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.